Benton golfer Hayden White signs with LSU

“I chose LSU because I’ve grown up being a Tiger and I’ve always wanted to be one,” White said. “I’ve always loved LSU and I never really thought about going anywhere else.

White said he’s known LSU head coach Chuck Winstead since the third grade and has played many times with Winstead’s son, Trey, a freshman member of the LSU team.

White helped the Tigers win the 2015 and 2016 Division II state championships. He was the co-medalist in 2016. He had to withdraw from the 2017 tournament because of an illness.

As a freshman, White finished tied for fourth in the state tournament.

He finished third in the Region I-II tournament last spring and was the runner-up in 2015.

White has won or shared the District 1-I title the last three years. He also won the Northwest Louisiana High School Championship tournament in April.

White joins an LSU golf program that won the national championship in 2015.

He will join two Byrd products currently playing for LSU — sophomores Phillip Barbaree and Carter Toms, the son of former Airline star David Toms.

“I’m really good friends with them,” White said. “I’ve gotten closer with them over the years. We’re going to practice real hard next year and we’re going to grind it out and some people are going to stay home during tournaments not in the top five and some are going to go, but we’re still going to be friends through it. It’s going to be a great battle. It’s going to be a really great four years.”